SC Spotlight: Musical Theatre Repertory (MTR)
By (There are a lot of acronyms in this blog title) Kelly Kinas ‘16
Ever feel like you need more musical theatre in your life? Good, so it’s not just me! Obviously because USC is amazing at everything, we have an extremely strong theatre and music program put on here by the university. But what about the superbly talented students who want to create the production from the ground up?
HAVE NO FEAR. THERE IS A PLACE FOR YOU (or a place for you to watch really talented people sing and act while you secretly eat a power bar).
Musical Theatre Repertory at the University of Southern California was established in 2005 and is dedicated to enriching students’ lives through the production of quality musical theatre. Our goal is to provide students with the opportunity to participate in musical theatre pieces supplementary to those produced by USC. Explore their website for general info about the company, ticketing details, upcoming events, production stills, and even a few production videos!
Break down of the 2015 Artistic Directors:
President: Taubert Nadalini
Production Manager: Jessica Major
Treasurer: Caitlin Kilgore
Public Relations: Rebecca Mellinger
Secretary: Annika Ellwanger-Chavez
Members at Large: Allison Aoun, Sasha Bartol, Zach Blumner, Justus Bradshaw, Lucy Grebin, Jack McCarthy, Kevin Paley, Victoria Pearlman, Sidne Phillips, Sophie Thomason, Jackson Strike
AND HOT DAMN are these kids talented (I say kids for effect, they are my age). They put on 3 shows a years and have such a huge pool of talent to pick from because auditions are open! All of their shows are over for this school year (obvi) but if you, either an old maid/rising senior or over excited freshman want to join them, THEIR SEASON FOR NEXT YEAR WAS JUST (partially) ANNOUNCED:
Two amazing shows, if you know anything about musical theatre. If you don’t know anything about theatre, lemme break it down for you.
Heathers is an newer musical, premiering off-Broadway in 2014, and is the darkly delicious story of Veronica Sawyer, a brainy, beautiful teenage misfit who hustles her way into the most powerful and ruthless clique at Westerberg High: the Heathers. But before she can get comfortable atop the high school food chain, Veronica falls in love with the dangerously sexy new kid J.D. When Heather Chandler, the Almighty, kicks her out of the group, Veronica decides to bite the bullet and kiss Heather’s aerobicized ass… but J.D. has another plan for that bullet. - See more at: http://heathersthemusical.com/#sthash.hofd72h2.dpuf
Company is a CLASSIC. Stephen Sondheim is a GENIUS and has created some of the most iconic musical theatre music and lyrics ever. Originally titled Threes, Company’s plot revolves around Bobby (a single man unable to commit fully to a steady relationship, let alone marriage), the five married couples who are his best friends, and his three girlfriends. Unlike most book musicals, which follow a clearly delineated plot, Company is a concept musical composed of short vignettes, presented in no particular chronological order, linked by a celebration for Bobby’s 35th birthday.
Still not convinced that these people are doing stuff that you’d wanna watch? This was their 2015 season:
[title of show] is a musical about two guys writing a musical about two guys writing a musical. This ninety-minute contemporary show chronicles real life authors Bowen and Bell’s writing process for the New York Musical Theatre Festival with the help of actor-friends Heidi Blickenstaff and Susan Blackwell This musical explores the limitless possibilities for creation and elation within a collaborative art process.
Miscast is just a super fun, silly concert that allows men to sing women’s songs, women to sing men’s song, young people sing old people songs, etc. Pretty much, if you sound good singing it, you can sing it, typecasting put to the side.
Little Women is based on Louisa May Alcott’s classic 1869 semi-autobiographical novel. It focuses on the four March sisters — brassy,tomboy-like, aspiring writer Jo, romantic Meg, pretentious Amy, and kind-hearted Beth — and their beloved Marmee, at home in Concord, Massachusetts while the family patriarch is away serving as a Union Army chaplain during the Civil War. Intercut with the vignettes in which their lives unfold are several recreations of the melodramatic short stories Jo writes in her attic studio.
Support your fellow trojans and get pumped for Heathers and Company next year. They are both one-word-titled shows; you know they’re gonna be good.
If you’re interested in getting more information about MTR, like their Facebook page to stay in “the know” about upcoming shows and auditions.
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